PERFECTION- it DOES Exist as BACON!

I joked with my family over the holidays about BACON, and how much we all love it (at least most!). We got carried away and drove the ladies nuts, but apparently someone was listening in. We said that they should liquify bacon and turn it into a drink - it would be the most popular in history. It would be like bottled Chuck Norris.

We'll for all you bacon-lovers out there...

Here's a photo and a link to a news story about our imagined invention turned actual product.

Fast facts about BACON:

• Bacon has been around for centuries: preserving pork bellies began in China around 1500BC, and the Greeks and Romans continued the tradition, until Americans perfected it!
• Choline, a mirconutrient found in pork products like bacon, may actually boost the intelligence of an unborn child (until they're born, served unlimited amounts of bacon...). Scientist at Univ of NC have linked Choline to better brain development, memory, and recall, and possibly a decrease in heart problems (just saying!),
• In 1924, Oscar Mayer patented the 1st packed, sliced bacon (God bless that man!),
• Denmark consumes the most pork in the world & the average American eats 17.9 lbs of bacon each year,
• Each serving of bacon is about 3 slices, 100 calories, 8 grams of fat, 440 miligrams of sodum, 0 trans fats, and 5 lbs of AWESOME.
• Every breakfast with bacon is EPIC!
• It has been scientifically proven* that eating bacon daily increase your life expectancy (*not scientifically proven)!

Here's the latest on St. Patrick

YOU get to VOTE on what happens to St. Patrick...

Vote on what should happen to St. Patrick at the end of Season 3: Law & Order at Lifehouse FB page (I suggest writing in that "he" should be arrested by real police for impersonating a police detective).

Check out part 2 video and message and discover how the Law of God is actually FOR our justice. We don't define right and wrong, or just throw it out the window. God establishes right and wrong.



Listen to the message here.

SHARE these links and resources!

Check it out- resources for part 1 of Law & Order: St Patrick Unit

Watch the trailer for the opening message in the series, "Law & Order: St Patrick Unit"



Listen to the message here.

Discover the principles behind the Law of God laid out in detail in Exodus and Deuteronomy. Come out THIS Sunday, June 12th to discover the 2nd principle that we'll be examining in these books.

Newest ST PATRICK Series- Law & Order

Rules can seem so… restrictive, so… prudish.  Morals and regulations seem to limit all of our fun and freedom.  What’s more, Christianity seems to be the greatest offender of that freedom.  Many people view the Bible as nothing more than a list of do’s and don’ts.  In their estimate, it’s filled with rules designed to restrict and rob us of pleasure.  Could their assumptions be true?

Join Pastor Patrick Sundays 8:45, 10:00 or 11:15 AM as he dives into "LAW & ORDER: St. Patrick Unit," a new series that explains that God's laws were not meant to be burdensome but to be a blessing.  God's laws reveal his heart and his character, so as we turn our focus from the law to the Lawgiver, we discover the key to a free and fulfilled life!

Catch a sneak peak of the series by watching the trailer, and we hope to see you this Sunday!

How NOT to INVITE friends to Church

Friend Day is THIS Sunday! Follow these simple steps to avoid an awkward invitation situation...



DON'T FORGET- Invite friends, family, co-workers, classmates, fellow-graduates- pretty much ANYONE you know who does NOT currently go to church! See you and then on Sunday for Friend Day and the Kick-off of our latest sermon series. I'll post that next!

How Not to Invite Your Friends

Check out a latest teaching video to help you develop the skills to invite your friends to Lifehouse:



Don't forget- NEXT SUNDAY, June 5th is Friend Day! So, take your newly gotten skills, and enjoy inviting your friends, co-workers, neighbors, classmates- pretty much anyone you know who does NOT currently go to church.

We look forward to seeing YOU and your friends on June 5th!

Why Should I Get Baptized?

With an exciting baptism celebration coming up at Lifehouse Church East, thought I'd take a moment and explain why you should consider getting baptized.

Sign up to be baptized at our service on May 22nd- http://on.fb.me/mdnPYk.

First, if it's good enough for Nacho Libre, it's good enough for you:


Ok, seriously...

Baptism was commanded by Jesus when He told his followers to spread the good news of the Gospel:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit... Matthew 28:19.

As the disciples preached, they carried  out this command and instructed all those who put their faith in Jesus to be baptized:
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Acts 2:38.

When the message of Jesus is presented, those who believe will want to demonstrate their faith through a public symbol or witness to their commitment to Jesus:
Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” Acts 8:35–36.

What's the point?

Coming out of the closet for Jesus: since everyone else is coming out of the closet these days, and people understand that it means to bring out into public what you've been living in secret, baptism seems to be the coming-out-of-the-closet moment for Jesus-followers. It's our moment when we declared to the whole world and anyone watching that we are publicly declaring that Jesus is Lord of our life.

Powerful and meaningful symbolism: why do Jesus-follower get fully dunked in the water as a public declaration of their faith in Jesus? This is a very meaningful ceremony for Christians. Here's why:

• water symbolizes the Holy Spirit,
• going under water = a person's death to their "old" (2 Corinthians 5:17) way of life and their sinful past,
• being raised out of the water = regeneration and transformation that happens through faith in Jesus as the Holy Spirit brings someone to new life in Jesus. This life is eternal life. 

Does baptism make you "saved"? No! No more than a wedding ring makes you married. The power is not in the symbol but in the vow behind the symbol. The symbol is important, because it declares to the whole world that you've made a vow to give your life to Christ, just as a wedding ring tells the world that I've committed my life in marriage to my spouse.

Okay, so have you been baptized since you believed in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

If not, I would like to strongly challenge you to get baptized. Sunday, May 22nd during any one of our 3 services at Lifehouse would be a great opportunity. Let us know!

Invite your FRIENDS & NEW Sermon Series

Don't Miss Out or Miss this incredible opportunity to invite your friends to Lifehouse. Hopefully, this video will inspire you to invite everyone you can to join us THIS weekend for Spring Fever Sunday:


TAG, YOU'RE IT! We'll do our part making it a great experience and helping people hear and experience the Gospel and be touch by God's transforming power. But you've got to do your part by inviting them and talking them about Jesus.

Kicking off new sermon series (with a title that you may remember from last year):




You don't want to miss this series. PLUS, we'll be passing out the NEW study guides to go along with this series. This is one of those sermon series that your friends will want to hear.

TAG, YOU'RE IT!

Don't Miss Out

Hang up heavy coats, burn the boots, and scrap the scarves!  Spring is on it's way, and at Lifehouse Church East-- that calls for a CELEBRATION!

On April 3, we're inviting you and your kids to be our guests of honor at "Spring Fever Sunday!"  While the adults enjoy free breakfast, live music, and an inspiring message, the kids will be treated to a full morning of carnival-style fun at our 8:45, 10:00 and 11:15 AM services!

Egg hunts, moonbounces, carnival games, live performers, candy, concessions and prizes are all part of the fun.  Sound a little crazy?  What can we say...we have SPRING FEVER!! Do YOU??


INVITE your FRIENDS. Do whatever it takes to get them to Lifehouse, they won't regret that you got them there. It's going to be a blast!

Critical Announcements

TWO Big Announcements for ALL Lifehousers:


Three (3) Services start THIS Sunday!

When they said, "Good things come in threes," they must have been talking about Lifehouse Church East!

Beginning March 27, Lifehouse Church East will offer 3 Sunday morning services at 8:45, 10:00 and 11:15 AM.

"Why the change?" you might ask. It's simple-- each service was beginning to reach max capacity, and we want to share God's love with as many people possible!

You can expect each service to be jam-packed with all the things you love about Lifehouse: free breakfast, great kids programs, live music, and a message that speaks to your everyday life.

So pass the news on to your friends and family, and we look forward to seeing you March 27th!

NEXT Weekend is Spring Fever Sunday!


Hang up heavy coats, burn the boots, and scrap the scarves!  Spring is on it's way, and at Lifehouse Church East-- that calls for a CELEBRATION!

On April 3, we're inviting you and your kids to be our guests of honor at "Spring Fever Sunday!"  While the adults enjoy free breakfast, live music, and an inspiring message, the kids will be treated to a full morning of carnival-style fun at our 8:45, 10:00 and 11:15 AM services!

Egg hunts, moonbounces, carnival games, live performers, candy, concessions and prizes are all part of the fun.  Sound a little crazy?  What can we say...we have SPRING FEVER!! Do YOU??

Where are the moms?

I gave the moms fair warning that I would post this picture:

After stepping into nursery area to say "hi" to several moms after they finished their life group, I was startled when I started walking down the hallway. I saw a few (look closely to see for yourself) baby carriers WITH the babies IN them! Yea, where are the moms? Literally, I stopped in my tracks...

Not reporting, just saying. In their defense, I know that being a mom is the hardest job in the world and that they are intimately involved in every detail of their kids' lives.

Just thought you'd like to see what I saw.

Yes, I am THAT guy!

As much as I hate to admit it, over the last few weeks, I've become THAT guy.

First, I got in my first car accident the week before Christmas, and so I was THAT guy on the side of the road, staring at my broken car with mess in the street and fire, police, and tow trucks around.

And it was the day we got the inch or 2 of snow, so it was freezing cold. Not whining, just explaining.

Then, yesterday, I wiped on the treadmill at the Y. Yep, I'm THAT guy that falls on the treadmill. I mean, who does that?!

It was pretty embarrassing. How? My ipod fell off when I hit the earphone wire.  I thought I hit the stop button when I got off to pick up my ipod, so when I got back on, I was surprised to step onto the still spinning machine. WIPE OUT! The gym was full, and several people started asking me if I was okay.

Honestly, from an average guys perspective, even if my arm or leg was severed, I still would have said, "of course, I'm fine!" However, that was the end of my run.

Here are some other people that were THAT guy, only way funnier:

You shouldn't have laughed, that almost was me...


What's your experience at being THAT guy? I want some good confessions here.

COMING SOON: Red Carpet Sunday!

On Sunday, December 5, we’re rolling out the RED CARPET for all friends and family members of Lifehouse Church East! Every guest of honor can enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, continental breakfast, family portraits, and admission to Legend, a special Christmas series.

Tickets for the event are FREE, but seating is limited in each service, so start making your guest list today!



The box office will be open November 21 & 28 before and after the 9:00 & 10:30 AM service. You may also call 301-824-4656 or email info@lifehousechurcheast.org for WILL CALL information.

Every guest can also submit their contact information on their ticket stub to be entered in the VIP Gift Package drawing ($225 value!). There will be one winner drawn for the 9:00 AM service, and one drawn for the 10:30 AM service. Guests must be present to receive their prize. Ticket stubs can be submitted at the box office on Sundays.

these videos are proof that EVERYONE is necessary at Lifehouse

In case you don't know where you belong or what talent you have to offer, I want to assure every person at Lifehouse is valuable and necessary.

As PROOF, we've discovered that one ministry partner's unique gift is making jibjab videos of the office staff. Who knew that this was a necessary role in the church, but hey, we want everyone to maximize their giftedness to impact God's Kingdom at Lifehouse.

I had to censor most, but here are a few jibjab videos of our team that may give you a laugh. OH, and be very afraid if you see someone at Lifehouse trying to get a close of picture of your face. You may find yourself in one of these.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Featuring: Lauren Layman, Melody Belotte, Corey Broadwater, Patrick, Brian Linn.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Featuring: Pastors Ron, Patrick and Laura, Corey Broadwater, and Dave Johnson

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Featuring: Pastor Joe and Lois, John and Jamie Aldridge, Lauren Broadwater.

my lay-away purchase

in prep for the message this Sunday, I came across this video:

The trunk monkey chaperone version is my next lay-away purchase. I don't care how much! I'll pick it up in about 7 years, when my oldest daughter is able to get her driving permit. :)

Boys, are you afraid? Not nearly enough! You know I'll be hunting you!

THE TOP TEN THINGS I LEARNED FROM LIFEHOUSE CHURCH EAST

Written and originally posted by Melody Belotte Here's some inside jokes for your Lifehouse regulars....

"THE TOP TEN THINGS I LEARNED FROM LIFEHOUSE CHURCH EAST"

1.) How to fold a circular table cloth

2.) Cheese-ITs & Pepperoni are a perfectly acceptable breakfast food.

3.) When someone tells you to "go love on someone," don't worry-- it's not a sexual reference.

4.) If you see a man walking around kids ministry dressed in drag, he was probably actually going for more of the "old testament character" look.

5.) Those cups full of pens on the "endcaps of the aisles" are actually booby traps for new guests to knock over during a quiet part of the sermon.

6.) When we talk about St. Patrick- we're not referring to an actual historical figure, but our Pastor's Evil Alter-Ego.

7.) Lifesaver mints are like Lay's Potato Chips. I bet you can't just eat one.

8.) "FRIEND DAY" is actually code for "HOT BREAKFAST IN CAFE DAY." (God bless gravy.)

9.) Patrick Grach is "FIRED UP." When we figure out what "FIRED DOWN" is, we'll let you know.

10.) Church is a family of friends. It doesn't have to be uptight, boring, or detatched from reality. It can actually be an exciting experience...mostly because I'm pretty sure God drinks caffeine too...

Watch St Patrick Gone Wild videos here

Kicked off St Patrick season 2 a few weeks ago. Very excited and having a ton of fun while also speaking on some very challenging topics. The theme of this series is "The Anatomy of a Jesus-follower". However, I hope that you enjoy the journey and watching the videos as much as enjoyed filming and acting in them.

For Part 1 watch this intro video:

And for part 2:


And now, to actually listen to the sermons follow this link to our website:http://www.lifehousechurcheast.org/nonflash/main.aspx?page=sermons.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! (gotta watch the video)

Big HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

Just a little jig to say, "You're awesome!"

Daylight Savings and Baptism THIS SUNDAY

Daylight Savings Time begins THIS Sunday, March 14th, so move your clocks FORWARD one hour THIS Saturday Night and pass on this video to other forgetful friends...



Baptism in Water is a significant step in the journey of a Jesus-follower, and if you or someone you know has not been baptized in water, take advantage of this special Baptism Ceremony held at Leitersburg Cinemas!

For more information- check out our event page here.

Hagerstown topping the charts! Everyone link this video

Great music video by A-list, top talents from our very own Lifehouse music industries. Putting Hagerstown, MD on the map.

If you love it, like it, then link it, Facebook it, blog it, tweet it, spread it.